The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture may increase health risks, including obesity, by ignoring sound science as they announce recommendations to reduce sodium consumption to 1,500 mg per day, says the Salt Institute.
Salt Institute President Lori Roman said her chief concern is the potential harm from unintended consequences. “It is reckless for the government to risk the health of Americans by relying on substandard levels of evidence and refusing to consider new evidence,” stated Roman.
The rationale behind the recommendation is purportedly blood pressure reduction, however the Salt Institute points to other published evidence. “While no one doubts that a small percentage of our population may experience modest blood pressure declines from salt reduction, it has not been scientifically established that a population-wide reduction will benefit overall health. Research indicates health risks for some on low salt diets, including higher risk of heart attacks. And new research shows that not a single modern society consumes such a low level of salt as that recommended (less than 4 grams of salt per day). This recommendation is essentially an unauthorized massive clinical trial using 300 million Americans as guinea pigs,” said Roman.
Recent research involving data collected from more than 19,000 individuals in 33 countries has demonstrated that healthy humans, all around the world, consume sodium within a relatively narrow range (2700 mg- 4900 mg sodium) – a range controlled by a number of physiological mechanisms. The DGAC recommended level of 1500 mg is drastically lower. The Salt Institute cites this research as proof that these mechanisms cannot and should not be modified by public health policies that try to override the bodies’ biological signals for nutrients
Most nutritionists agree that reduced sodium in food preparations will very likely increase the obesity crisis because individuals will consume more calories just to satisfy their innate sodium appetite and their search for eating satisfaction.
Available peer-reviewed evidence suggests that reduced sodium levels increase the risk of negative cardiovascular consequences, cognitive impairment, adverse neurodevelopment in premature children and increased attention deficits, and unsteadiness and falls in the elderly, according to Salt Institute Vice President of Science and Research Mort Satin. “This is why the Institute of Medicine ‘Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake’ report states that each step in their step-down sodium reduction process be accompanied by a check for “early warnings of any unintended consequences,” he stated.